The first batch of a generic version of dolutegravir (DTG), an antiretroviral drug used to treat HIV, arrived in Colombia on Thursday as part of a compulsory license, marking a significant milestone for the Colombian government in prioritizing patients over the profits of pharmaceutical companies.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends dolutegravir as the first- and second-line treatment for all population groups. In Colombia, access to this medication was delayed or limited due to the patent holder — British pharmaceutical company ViiV Healthcare — imposing extremely high prices that left the drug out of the reach of patients in Colombia.
The Latin American Network for Access to Medicine (RedLAM) reports that a comparative price study revealed very high costs of dolutegravir in Colombia due to a patent-created monopoly. To counteract this, the government of Colombia issued a compulsory license (CL) in April 2024, which occurs when a government allows another manufacturer to produce a patented product without the consent of the patent holder — in this case, ViiV Healthcare.
President Gustavo Petro announced the shipment on X, with a photo of the first shipment, containing 300,000 doses of DTG. “It [dolutegravir] was very expensive in the market… The EPS [public health insurance system] did not prescribe it due to its price, and many people died of AIDS, which was avoidable,” Petro said. “Now, thanks to the progressive Ministry of Health, it comes at such a low price that we are ready to reduce the disease as much as possible.”
Granting compulsory licensing to this and other medications is an important step towards reducing prices and making treatment more accessible. It will also increase the number of people who can access DTG. Through the CL, the price of DTG was reduced from almost $100 USD to $3 USD for 30 tablets, the equivalent of a monthly course of HIV treatment, which should be taken by a person living with HIV during their whole life.
“We appreciate the efforts of the national government, as well as of so many people and organizations in Colombia, the region, and the world, who have worked tirelessly to make the use of public health safeguard contemplated in international intellectual property regulations a reality,” said Juliana Lopez from iFarma from Colombia. “This progress allows Colombia to optimize the use of public resources in health and respond more effectively to the prevalence and incidence of HIV.”
ITPC and the MMA campaign congratulate the Government of Colombia for prioritizing public health and taking a strong stance against monopolies by billion-dollar pharmaceutical companies.
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